BOOKSHELF: The Final Day by William R. Forstchen -- very timely look into "WHAT IF..."

The Final Day is third in a series by New York Times bestselling author William R Forstchen featuring protagonist John Matherson; the first book in the series has already been optioned for a Warner Brothers movie.  Months before it was even published, the first in the series -- One Second After was touted on the floor of the US Congress as a must-read book for all Americans.   The riveting story of our nation's struggle to rebuild itself after an electromagnetic pulse plunges the country into darkness, starvation, and death was followed closely by the acclaimed One Year After, continuing the Matherson saga. 

With our nation still at odds over the result of the presidential election, military historian Bill Forstchen offers something for both sides of the political aisle in a riveting plot that has citizens united in an attempt to preserve a beloved America.  Like its two predecessors in the Matherson series, this new novel entertainingly blends folksy and sophisticated, small-town nostalgia and sharp futurism...a thoughtfully rendered, richly detailed investigation into the 'What if.'"  The Final Day picks up after John Matherson and his community defeat the designs of the alleged federal government. Now they have returned their attention to restoring the technologies and social order existing prior to the EMP attack. When the government announces that it is ceding large portions of the country to China and Mexico, General Bob Scales is sent to confront Matheson. The Constitution is no longer in effect, and what's left of the U.S. Army has been deployed to suppress rebellion in the remaining states.

General Scales is John's former commanding officer and closest friend from prewar days. Where do his loyalties fall?  Might he be the crucial turning point in the quest for an America that is again united? When news breaks that members of the federal government knew an EMP attack was coming long before it hit, the government might get exactly what it fears: revolution.

William R. Forstchen is the New York Times bestselling author of One Second After. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Purdue University, with specializations in military history and the history of technology. Forstchen is currently a faculty fellow and professor of history at Montreat College, near Asheville, North Carolina.